Yes, I wrote that correctly. Fifty.

Attorneys who sign up for the Platinum level of my Total Online Video Success program create 50 video clips in one day’s worth of video shooting.

You might think that each video clip would be maybe 30 seconds to one minute. If you thought that, you’d be 100% incorrect. Our video clips last 1 1/2 minutes to 3 minutes. When you consider how many videos you create, the cost per video, the fact that your video producer is also an experienced trial attorney who helps you create content that compels viewers to call, you’ll soon realize there is no other video production company that offers this much value for your investment.

Learn more about my Total Online Video Success Program.

To your success!

Gerry

Lawyers Video Studio tripod

Do you think you can hold your video camera steady for more than 30 seconds. You can’t. If you don’t believe me, try it. Try a wide angle shot and hold for 60 seconds without moving. Then zoom in on something in the distance and try holding it rock-steady for 60 seconds. It won’t happen.

Try videotaping your kid’s school play without a tripod and all you’ll see is the camera bobbing up and down. Step up to the plate and get yourself a tripod.

What tripod to get? There are hundreds of types. Lightweight aluminum to heavy steel ones capable of holding huge video cameras. They cost anywhere from $20 to thousands of dollars for the professional types.

I have two tripods. A lightweight aluminum one that weighs very little but is sturdy enough to take with me anywhere. The other is a monster of a tripod (pictured above) that I got when I was shooting video on the soccer field. You see, there’s something called ‘fluid-head’ tripods which are more expensive than ‘non-fluid-head’ tripods. When you move the camera from side to side (also known as panning), a tripod with a ‘fluid-head’ has a much smoother flow than one that does not.

Here’s what would happen on the soccer field. When I’d be shooting video and catching some fast-breaking action, I’d have to move the camera quickly from left to right. Without a fluid-head on the tripod, it’s like metal rubbing against metal and the motion is sometimes jerky and gets stuck. That’s not good for trying to get smooth panning action shots. So, I wound up getting a fluid head tripod which makes movements nice and smooth. The problem with moving up the ladder to a more advanced type of tripod is that the tripod weight goes up exponentially. This means that it is no longer easy or convenient to lug around when going on vacation. Instead, I opt for my lightweight aluminum tripod.

Whether you are shooting video of someone else, or shooting video of yourself, you must put the camera on a tripod. That is the only way you will get steady, even video that will allow a viewer to focus on your content instead of your camera techniques.

In the “old days,” the answer would have been absolutely.

In the old days, you would have put your content onto an audio cassette, preferably Memorex or some other high quality audio tape. You might even have tried to put an audio message onto an eight-track tape. Going back even further, if you had the money, you could have tried to put your audio message on a 33 RPM record. Ahh…those were the good old days.

Well, the cassette tape along with the eight track tape have gone out the window. Film cameras have become antiques along with vinyl records. CDs and DVDs were the next hottest media to arrive. Everyone went from having a VHS VCR to having CD players. Then, DVDs came along with the much-hyped blue-ray. Standard definition video is so “old school” since now everything is high-definition video.

Studies have shown that consumers have moved away from the CD and DVD format for listening and watching content and instead prefer having instant access going online for the same information. Not many people really want to be in front of the TV and pop open their DVD player to sit down to watch a DVD. Instead, they want to sit in front of their computer, login to a website and be able to pick and choose whatever content they want at whatever pace they want.

That brings me back to my original question in the title. As an attorney who markets to consumers who raise their hand asking for information, should you still continue to put your content on CD or DVD? As with most typical lawyer answers, this one is a definite “maybe.”

Duplicating your content onto a CD or DVD is inexpensive. There are fulfillment houses all over the Internet that will eagerly duplicate your material and then send them out to wherever your potential clients reside. However, as more of the population joins Facebook and goes online for their daily dose of information, you have to wonder whether a CD or DVD in your box of stuff is worthwhile. I know some attorneys who would argue that they should throw it in there. Others would say “Give your prospective clients access to your attorney portal where they can listen and watch you talk about whatever it is you want to tell them.”

My opinion? Just like yellow pages and lawyer directories have become less relevant in today’s age of social media, I believe that CDs and DVDs are likewise becoming less relevant every day. Having said that, it does not mean that they are useless. Each form of media has its place, and your goal is to figure out how to use them creatively to help you stand out from the crowd.

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Stand out from the crowd. Be different.

Lawyers who want to differentiate themselves from all of their competitors would do well to watch some testimonials of some really smart lawyers who created video with the lawyer’s video studio. Click here to see what they had to say.

Lawyers Video Studio Top Secret Success Kit

In today’s blog post I want to introduce you to my secret weapon when I create attorney video. There is no video production company in the country that has this top-secret attorney video success kit. You cannot buy it. You cannot create it. Nor will you find this kit anywhere else. The only way you would even get a hint of what is contained within this kit is if you are a member of my Total Online Video Success Program for Lawyers.

Even then, lawyers who create video with me in the Lawyers Video Studio are not permitted to see what is inside the aluminum and titanium, heavy-duty case. They do however get the benefit of what is contained within it, but they do not have access to it. When I return from a video shoot, this case gets locked into a vault under special lock and key and only comes out for video shoots.

Be on the lookout for upcoming photographs of me carrying my top-secret video success kit on location, shooting video.
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Learn what one really smart attorney had to say about my Total Online Video Success Program. Click below.

First, take their belts away from them. (A little lawyer humor here.) Really.

Strip away their marketing foundation and what do they have? People who are throwing money at different media in an attempt to be sexier, hotter and more provocative than the next lawyer. If you undress your biggest competitor’s strategy, you will see sheer flimsy efforts to copy what others have done.

Thin straps of social media hold up some lawyers. Look to see who is wearing the red heels with the mini skirt. Hopefully it’s a woman. (Another attempt at some humor.) Look to see who is pushing their body parts up and out with press releases. Listen to the sultry siren call of a TV commercial that says (imagine a deep baritone announcer with hip 70′s boing-boing music) “Hey baby…been injured lately?”

Maybe you’ve seen an attorney in a courtroom with a very tight fitting blouse, pencil skirt and five inch heels. Does she have to shout to get noticed? Certainly not. Compare that to all the guys waiting for their case to be called, wearing their navy or grey suits. How do you stand out with that kind of crowd?

The key to beating the pants off your competitors is to be different. Don’t do the same TV, radio, newspaper or magazine ads that we see so often. Be different. Always keep in mind your state’s ethical rules and make sure to stay within them when choosing to do something different.

What’s the best way to show you’re different? I’m glad you finally asked.

With video!

Your competitors don’t know how to use video to their advantage. Only a small percentage of lawyers have learned the true value of showing and educating with video. When you show your consumer instead of selling to your consumer, you set yourself apart. It’s that simple.

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Listen to what personal injury attorney Greg Stokes had to say about Gerry’s Total Online Video Solution for Attorneys:

Corvette

I just don’t get it. I know that our blackberries, iPhones and smart phones encroach upon our personal lives. People use their mobile devices anywhere and everywhere they go. It is not uncommon to see a man standing at the urinal holding his Blackberry checking his e-mail. (Yes, I have seen this.)

Likewise, high-definition video cameras have gotten smaller, more convenient and easier to use. With the advent of the Flip video camera, the Sony Webbie, and the Kodak Zi8, creating good quality video is as simple as pressing the red record button. However, I repeatedly see videos of attorneys who create video while driving. I just don’t get it.

There is a time and place for everything. Most attorneys who are creating video on their own use these small little cameras to hold the video camera with one hand at arms length and start talking. This is the simplest way to create a bear-bones, quick and dirty video. Admittedly, many times the footage is shaky and the production values are often lacking.

But what’s the deal with creating a video while you’re driving? In New York, it is against the law to operate a motor vehicle while using a cell phone, except for emergencies. Hence the advent of hands-free wireless microphones or speakerphones for our cars. Aside from the multitasking that is associated with holding the camera at arm’s length, driving at the same time, observing the flow of traffic and negotiating other cars, you must keep up a stream-of-thought level of consciousness to create your video. The attorneys who create these videos fail to realize that the moving background is incredibly distracting.

These same lawyers argue that if they have some free time while they are commuting from one meeting to the next or from court back to their office, then why shouldn’t they use that time constructively to create an educational video message? Here’s my response: Use that time constructively to listen to marketing CDs from well-known experts. Listen to lectures and seminars on ways to improve your attorney marketing. Don’t create a message that may get you killed because of your multitasking while driving.

When you put that video online, the last thing you want is a distracting background of cars zipping by that takes away from your informational message. It is distracting. If you really want to create a two or three minute video while sitting in your car, then pull into a parking lot, tape your message, and then go about your day. This way you can show people that you’re a busy attorney sitting in your car on the way to some important event.

My advice: skip the moving car video and pull over. The last thing you want is a police officer to pull you over and tell you that you were driving under the influence of videotaping. That would surely make the front page news.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.

Want to learn how to use video to market your law practice today? Spend the next 58 seconds watching this video to learn more.

Have a great day!

Want to get started? Give me a call at 516-487-8207 or send me an email to Gerry@lawyersvideostudio.com. I welcome your call.

Want to learn how I use video to tell the world about recent verdicts, settlements and new legislation? Watch this 58 second video to see how you can benefit from creating video.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.
Have a great day!
Gerry

Click on the link to read the ad (pdf file).  Think you’re different? Think you stand out from the crowd? Show me. I’m looking for an attorney who uses online marketing and video to set yourself apart from your competitors.  Read the ad, and if that’s you, drop me an email at gerry@lawyersvideostudio.com and show me how you’re different from your competitors.

Wanted-lawyer video success story for interview

May the best lawyer win.

Gerry

I was speaking to over 250 attorneys on June 11, 2010 at the Hyatt in Fairfax, Virginia. The room was packed. Ben Glass had just finished talking about ethics in attorney advertising. 5:00 pm arrived and I had my wireless microphone all set; my laptop was ready to go and my wireless pointer was plugged in. I walked up on stage and the first question I asked the crowd after introducing myself was “How is it that a solo practitioner like myself is able to compete with the biggest law firms in Manhattan with the biggest marketing budgets?”

The answer explored five keywords and the number of websites that compete for those very competitive search terms. The search terms were “New York medical malpractice lawyer.” Google shows that 5 million websites vie for those search terms. “Do know which website consistently comes up in the #1 organic search results?” My New York Medical Malpractice Trial attorney website does.

The crowd got very quiet and their eyes opened wide, eager for more.

Later, I asked “What if you could own the first page of YouTube?”

Technically, you can’t ‘own’ the first page of YouTube, but in a practical sense you can. “How?” you ask? By having all twenty of your videos show up on the first page results of your search terms on YouTube. That’s how you can ‘own’ the real estate on the first page of YouTube. I then showed the group how I “own” the first page of YouTube for specific search terms.

Then I asked, “What if you could also own the second page of YouTube as well?” I then told them that for those specific search terms I own the second page too. Now, I really had everyone’s attention.

The important question I asked was “What do you think an online viewer would think if they did a search for their particular legal problem and they came upon a YouTube page where every single video on the page (except for the paid videos at the top) was yours?” Who do you think a viewer is going to call after seeing all of your videos; you or your competitor who only has a static website?

I had a blast talking to this group of smart, energetic and eager attorneys willing to learn how to market themselves in ethical, out-of-the box ways. I was glad I had a chance to talk with many brilliant attorneys who are blowing away their competition using so many different marketing methods. It was nice to actually meet a lot of attorneys I communicate with on Facebook and Twitter but had never actually met in person.

The feedback I received from the attorneys were amazing.

• Want to learn what I teach attorneys to create compelling video?
• Want to learn how I create my videos?
• Want to learn what will compel a viewer to pick up the phone and call you instead of your competitor?
• Want to learn the mindset of a viewer and figure out what content will get them to click on your headline and watch your video?

If you do, I encourage you to come join me in the Lawyers Video Studio coaching group. To learn more about the only video coaching group for lawyers in the country, click here: Lawyers Video Studio coaching group.

P.S.  By the way, if you need a speaker to talk to your group of attorneys about how video can help convert online viewers into callers and why attorneys need to create video now, pick up the phone and call me 516-487-8207 or send me an email to Gerry@lawyersvideostudio.com. I welcome your call.

There are some lawyers who still don’t get it. They still think the yellow pages is relevant today. There are other lawyers who don’t blink to pay $50,000 for a TV marketing campaign. There are still some lawyers who think Craigslist is a great way to market themselves and their legal services.

All of the traditional forms of  attorney advertising are becoming less and less relevant today, especially since most people go online to get information;  free information.

Cisco, one of the biggest Internet companies in the world responsible for making the Internet work, predicts that within the next 3-4 years video will be the dominant source of information online. The statistics that they actually cite is that 91% of all content online by the year 2014 will be video-based. I’ve seen statistics and comments by people from Google, Yahoo and other leading Internet companies agree that the future of everything online is video-based.

Knowing this, the question is “What can you do with this information?”  If you knew that the stock market would go up or down in a particular year you would have the ability to make sound investment choices (putting aside any issue of insider market trading). Here you have better information, coming from the top Internet companies in the world. All the articles, seminars and blog posts that these companies put out, all point to the direction of video being the dominant way in which people will receive information online in the coming years. Undoubtedly, there will be some people who still rely on text to get their message out. There’s nothing wrong with that.

However, if you are still in the stone ages and keep insisting that your static website is going to convert more viewers into callers compared to lawyers who have video on their website and the video sharing sites, you are sorely mistaken. Your goal, as an attorney who is looking for new clients, would be well advised to get onto video today and tomorrow and the next day.

Video helps you create a bond with your viewer, establishes trust and shows the online world that you are friendly and approachable. Remember, people do business with people. They don’t do business with faceless corporations. It’s okay if you don’t think video is for you, but please remember my words three or four years from now. You don’t want to kick yourself for not creating the best method of communication online, in the most cost-effective manner possible.

For more information about how you can get onto video in a simple, easy and fun way, I urge you to explore my total online video solution for attorneys here.  To learn the mindset of the viewer and how to create compelling content I encourage you to join my video coaching group for lawyers here. It’s the perfect solution for attorneys who are creating video on their own as well as with a video production company.